LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL.
Isthmian Canal Commission,
Department of Sanitation, Ancon, Canal Zone, January 25, 1911.
Chairman and Chief Engineer,
Isthmian Canal Commission,
Culebra, Canal Zone.
Sir: I have the honor to submit the following report of the department of sanitation for the calendar year 1910.
The improved health conditions shown in the report for 1909 continue, as is shown by the following table:
* Number of employees. Deaths. Rate
1904............................... 6, 213 82 13. 26
1905............................... 16,512 427 25. 86
1906............................... 26, 547 1,105 41. 73
1907............................... 39, 238 1,131 28. 74
1908............................... y 43, 891 571 1 13. 01
1909............................... 47,167 502 10. 64
1910............................... 50,802 558 j 10. 98
The slight increase in the death rate over that of 1909 is due to the increased number of deaths from external violence, the death rate from disease being less than that of 1909.
The death rate among our white employees from the United States from disease was 2.63 per thousand. If we include American women and children, it will raise the death rate of Americans from disease to 3.64 per thousand. This shows an improvement over the year 1909, when the death rate for the above was 3.88 and 4.32 per thousand, respectively.
Taking special diseases, the deaths from typhoid fever among our employees have been:
Deaths.
1905....................................................... 12
1906....................................................... 42
1907....................................................... 98
1908....................................................... 19
1909....................................................... 13
1910....................................................... 13
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Considering dysentery, we have had among our employees from
this disease the following deaths:
1905
1906 1907 1908 1909 1910
Deaths.
.. 14
69 .. 48 .. 16 .. 8
21
Among our 13,021 white employees we had only 1 death from this disease.
Considering pneumonia, we have had among our employees from this disease the following deaths:
1905 1906 1907
1908 1909 1910
Deaths.
.. 95 .. 413 .. 328
93 .. 70
73
Considering deaths from malaria among employees, we see the
following figures:
1905
1906 1907 1908 1909 1910
Deaths.
86 233 .. 154 .. 73 52 50
This is the'smallesfnumber ofMeaths we have had from malaria, and there is a marked improvement in the admission rate to our hospitals, as shown by the following table:
Per thousand.
1904 1905
1906 1907
1908 1909 1910
125 514 821 424 282 215 187
Deaths from the other principal diseases were as follows: Abscess of the liver, 9; nephritis, acute and chronic, 39; and from all forms of tuberculosis, 74; leaving 102 deaths among employees from all other diseases and 177 deaths from external violence.
Considering the death rate of the total population, including the cities of Panama and Colon and the Canal Zone, we find the rates for the different years to be as follows:
vii' \ V'/ .' Rate.
1905..................................................... 49.94
1906..................................................... 48.37
1907..................................................... 33.63
1908..................................................... 24.83
1909....................................................... 18.19
1910..................................................... 21.18

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r One death from yellow fever, in the person of a young Englishman, occurred at Ancon Hospital on January 24, 1910. The deceased arrived in Panama on the 6th of the month and was taken ill on the 8th. Information was received that he left the ship while in the harbor of Cartagena and visited the native town, and it was there that he undoubtedly got his infection.
With this exception no cases of yellow fever, plague, or smallpox occurred on the Isthmus during the year.
Very respectfully,
W. C Gorgas, Chief Sanitary Officer.
7843111-2

ANNUAL REPORT
op the
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, ISTHMIAN CANAL COMMISSION,
FOR THE YEAR 1910.
VITAL STATISTICS.
Deaths of Employees of the Isthmian Canal Commission
and Panama Railroad Co.
Color. Average number of employees. Total number of deaths from Annual death rate per 1,000 from
Disease. Vio- All lence. | causes. Disease. Violence. All causes.
White.............. Colored............. Total......... 13,021 37,7*1 64 317 55 | 119 122 j 439 4.92 8.39 4.22 3.23 9.14 11.62
50,802 381 177 558 7.50 3.48 10.98
Deaths in the Cities of Panama and Colon, and the Canal
Zone.
Annual
Places. Population. Deaths. average per
1,000.
Panama...................... 45, 591 1,446 31. 72
Colon........................ 19,535 514 26. 31
Canal Zone................... 86,465 1,251 14.47
Total................... 151, 591 3,211 21.18
Note.The figures relating to the number of employees are compiled from the pay rolls of the different months of the year. The population and deaths as given for the cities of Panama, Colon, and the Canal Zone include employees and civil population.
Total admissions of employees to hospitals and sick camps,
including those sick in quarters......................... 45, 965
Average per thousand of admissions of employees to hospitals and sick camps, including those sick in quarters.. 905
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